Thurstable School Sports College and Sixth Form Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are generally happy and feel safe at school. They know whom to report concerns to, including about bullying, and that staff will help.

They know that teachers have consistent expectations, and that lessons will be calm and focused.

Pupils are expected to achieve well. Lessons are interesting and make sense for most pupils.

Knowledgeable teachers plan learning that links with what they have taught before. However, some pupils, including some with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), struggle with the work. This is because some teachers do not teach subjects well, and some do not ensure that what pupils are taught is adapted well enough ...for them.

Pupils have had concerns about behaviour in the past. However, because of raised expectations and well-understood systems being in place, behaviour has improved. Most pupils attend school well.

However, there remains a small minority who do not attend as regularly as they should.

Pupils have a range of opportunities to pursue their talents and interests through schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme and a partnership with a professional football club. Pupils are now receiving better advice than in the past to keep them informed about what they can do after leaving school.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum. They have carefully set out what pupils need to learn in each subject. They have provided training to help teachers to deliver the curriculum effectively.

Teachers commonly provide clear explanations and check what pupils know. Where pupils do not understand, teachers provide further support. Consequently, many pupils build on and link together what they know well over time.

However, some teachers have not fully grasped how to teach the curriculum in their subjects well. This means that some pupils still have gaps in what they know, or do not produce high-quality work.

Leaders share information with teachers about pupils with SEND.

For pupils who have higher levels of need, such as those with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, this is generally effective and helps pupils to access the same curriculum as others. However, some pupils' needs and the strategies to support them are not precisely identified. Consequently, teachers do not adapt learning well enough and do not ensure that pupils understand what they are being taught.

Leaders have provided some training to teachers to address this. However, some of this has been very recent.

Leaders have prioritised reading and have planned class reading time into the school day.

Teachers use this time effectively to develop pupils' fluency by exploring with them a range of high-quality texts. However, some of the support leaders have put in place for pupils who find reading particularly difficult does not closely meet their needs. These pupils make slower progress with learning to read fluently than they should.

Students in the sixth form, including those students with SEND, successfully complete their studies and achieve well. This is because there is a clear rationale in how the curriculum is planned and taught. Leaders and teachers understand the needs of students with SEND well and adapt teaching effectively as a result.

Leaders have introduced a clear behaviour system that all staff and pupils know and understand. Teachers implement this system consistently. As a result, pupils usually learn in a disruption-free environment.

Behaviour during breaktimes and lunchtimes has improved because pupils understand the expectations leaders have of them. The school's value of 'respect' is better developed with pupils. This is especially the case in the sixth form, where students show maturity and consistently treat others, including adults, respectfully.

Leaders have established systems and processes to improve pupils' attendance. Leaders have been particularly successful in supporting some pupils to attend school more regularly. Persistent absence has been significantly reduced, and more pupils are attending well.

There remains a small group of pupils whose absence is higher than it should be.

Pupils have access to a range of wider opportunities, including residential trips and musical and sporting opportunities. Leaders have improved the provision for advising pupils about their future options.

The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. Bespoke careers support is available for pupils. Leaders have improved the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum.

Pupils are now more aware of protected characteristics than they were in the past. The curriculum content supports them well to understand how to form and maintain healthy relationships and to have respect for others. There is, for example, a well-attended LGBQT+ club.

Leaders listen to staff and consult with them about well-being and workload. Leaders are aware of what needs to be improved and, where they have not already secured improvement, have plans in place to do so.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have worked to establish a culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. They ensure that recruitment and vetting checks are appropriately recorded in the single central record. Staff are well trained in how to spot concerns and identify needs.

Leaders have established positive relationships with external agencies, such as social workers and the police. This helps to ensure that pupils get the support they need.

The curriculum content ensures that pupils know how to keep safe in a variety of situations.

This includes outside school and particularly when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some teachers do not teach the curriculum in their subjects as well as they need to. This means that some pupils do not learn as much as they should, and some pupils do not produce work of a high quality.

Leaders need to ensure that all pupils are taught consistently well. ? Leaders do not precisely identify the needs of pupils with SEND who do not have an EHC plan. Teachers do not adapt their teaching well enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

As a result, some pupils with SEND struggle to access the curriculum as well as their peers. Leaders need to ensure that they review the plans in place for pupils with SEND to ensure that the strategies they want teachers to apply are precise enough to enable all staff to meet the needs of all pupils with SEND effectively. This includes those pupils at the early stages of learning to read.

• Leaders' effective work to improve attendance has not been successful with all pupils. A small group of pupils still miss too much time in school. Leaders need to build on their successful groundwork to ensure that all pupils attend school well.